thornton



Patented May 30, I899.

- J. E. THORNTON.

CARDBOARD BOX.

(Application filed Dec. 21, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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'INVIENTOR WITNESSES U frED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. THORNTON, or ALTRINcI-IAM, ENGLAND.

CARDBOARD Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 625,858, dated May 30, 1899.

i Application filed December 21, 1897. Serial No- 662,968. (No model.) 1

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, JOHN EDWARD THORN TON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing atAltringham, in the county of Chester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cardboard Boxes, of

to a shortening of the .strip.

which the following is a specification.

The improvements forming the subject of this invention relate to that class of cardboard boxes which have flapells that fold over the loose end or side pieces to secure them together; and the object of this invention is to make theseflapells self-fastening, so that they will retain, their position when once folded over (without springing back) in a simpler, cheaper, and better manner than hitherto. Hitherto it has been found that when a plain strip is used in combination with an ordinary bend the fiapell will not bend over easily when the strip is outside the hinge, fact that the act of bending'overis equivalent Consequently the cardboard is pinched 0r nipped under the strip, and the fiapell has a tendency to-spring backsomewhat after bending over. This has hitherto been obviated by making a bend or kink in the strip before attaching it, which gives it a greater length than the surface of board it covers, and therefore when, bent over this extra length is taken up. In practice this is somewhat expensive, and Iam now enabled to employ a plain strip or clip.-

It consists, essentially,"in forming in thecardboardof which the box is to be made two parallel grooves or forming slots or holes, over which the-metallic fastening-strips will pass, or aifixing such strips by one end only, so that when the fiapell is bent over the metallic strip or clip is not stretched or elongated.

. which the box' is constructed,'with two par-' It will be fully described withreference to the accompanying drawings- I Figure 1 is a plan ofvan extended blank from allel grooves cut-along the lines a a, o c; Fig.

2, an enlargement of a portion of same, show.

ing the grooves; Fig. 3, a sectionaljelevation through end ofbox, showing flapell A closed; Fig. vv4c, a perspective view of metal'elip B in closed position; Fig. 5, a plan of extended blank, showing holes 0 punched beneath the metal clips B, Fig. 6, an elevation of part of end of box; Fig. 7, a sectional elevation of owing'to the same; Fig.8, a plan of extended blank, Show irig the metal clips B attached to the card board by one end only; Fig. 9, an elevation of end of box, showing same; Fig. 10, a sectional elevation showing metal clip B on outside of bend; Fig. 11, a perspective view of metal clip detached; Fig. 1.2, a section showing metal clip B on inside of bond; Fig. 13, aperspective view of clip detached.

Astiifening-piece or metallic clip B, of wire,

,metal ribbon, or other suitable material, is

placed crosswise over the bend of the fiapell whenfolded. The strip or clip 13 is sufficiently soft and ductile to bend over readily, and yet strong enough to retain its position when bent.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, in addition to or 7 instead of the ordinary scores or bends, I out two parallel grooves a a c c at the bend of each of the flapells AN These grooves are .distinct from the ordinary bends and are preferably in the form known as channel-scoring, a solid ridge of ungrooved board being left between the grooves. The effect of these grooves is to allow of the material of the board closing-in when being bent over with-- out extending the exterior surface, and thus avoid the longitudinal stretching of the metallic strips or clips B that would otherwise take place. i i

Referring to. Figs. 5 to 7, the bend of the fiapell A is scored or creased in the usual way and a plain strip or elip'B aflixed thereto to hold it when bent. Immediately under the placein' the bend where the metallieclip 13 crosses it I punch a hole or slot into which 1 thestrip or clip B .fits, when bent over, and

thus the board is not pinched along the bent edge,nor has the fiapellany tendency to spring back, for the reason that the surface of the board is practically the same length or shorter than the surface of the strip or clip that covers theadjacentpart, and no tension is put upon it- K Referringto Fi s. 8 to 13, instead of groovg ing the board or cutting holes or slots therein to prevent tension on the metallic clip or strip B, I find'that by securing it at one end only and leaving the other free all tension can be avoided and the same result obtained of pro venting the fiapell springing back when bent over.- i The end b is secured to the fiapell by clenching, squeezing, or other meansgand the end I) is left free either on the surface of the board or passed through a slit or hole punched in it, in which it can moveto and fro. The strip or clip B is thus formed in the form of a fork, the long end I) of which extends across the hinge to maintain it in position when folded.- The strip 13 may be placed either outside the bend of the hinge, as in Figs. 10

and 11, the end I) being turned inward, or it may be inside the bend, as in Figs. 12 and 13, the end I) being turned outward. Both positions are shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The forked end 12 engages the end of the flapell and may be pushed on either by hand or machine and be compressed or squeezed into the surface of the board by rollers, presses, or other means.

The springing back when the flapell is bent over occurs with all forms of creasing of the board hitherto used-that is to say, if the board is creased on a Remus or other form of Jwell known, and with ,each one the fiapell springs back after bending over unless the metal strip is applied according to the way 7 hereinbefore described.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a folding cardboard box a fiapell A provided with incisions at the bend to receive a plain metallic cross-strip in combination with a plain metallic cross-strip B fitting into such incisions to prevent tension on'such strip and prevent the flapell springing back when folded, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a cardboard box of folding sides folding ends flapells' A provided with indents to receive metallic, strips and plain metallic cross-strips B attached to the flapell and inserted in the indent to overcome longitudinal tension on the strips and prevent the flapell from springing back when folded substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name tothis specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. E. THORNTON.

Witnesses:

J. OWDEN OBRIEN, R. OVENDALII.v 

